New Zealand royal honours system

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Queen Elizabeth II, the founder of the Order of New Zealand, the New Zealand Order of Merit, and the Queen's Service Order, wearing her insignia as sovereign of all three orders, 2011 Queen Elizabeth II of New Zealand.jpg
Queen Elizabeth II, the founder of the Order of New Zealand, the New Zealand Order of Merit, and the Queen's Service Order, wearing her insignia as sovereign of all three orders, 2011
Investiture of Derek Lardelli as ONZM by Governor-General of New Zealand Sir Anand Satyanand for services to Maori arts at a ceremony at Government House, Wellington in September 2008 Derek Lardelli ONZM investiture.jpg
Investiture of Derek Lardelli as ONZM by Governor-General of New Zealand Sir Anand Satyanand for services to Māori arts at a ceremony at Government House, Wellington in September 2008

The New Zealand royal honours system, a system of orders, decorations and medals, recognises achievements of, or service by, New Zealanders or others in connection with New Zealand. Until 1975, New Zealand used the British honours system. Since then the country has introduced a number of uniquely New Zealand honours, and as of 2021, only the dynastic British honours continue in active use in New Zealand, with the exception of the Order of the Companions of Honour (Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, a New Zealand soprano, was given the award in 2018).

Contents

The New Zealand royal honours comprise the Order of New Zealand, the New Zealand Order of Merit, the King's Service Order, King's Service Medal, New Zealand bravery awards, New Zealand gallantry awards, the New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration and the New Zealand Antarctic Medal. [1]

The monarch of New Zealand awards honours on ministerial advice. However, certain awards remain in the exclusive gift of the monarch. [2]

The Honours Unit of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet administers the New Zealand honours system. [3]

History

Since the beginning of settlement in the mid-nineteenth century, British honours were awarded in New Zealand. In 1848, Governor George Grey received the first honour granted to a New Zealand resident, becoming a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath. [2] For more than a hundred years the British honours system was used for New Zealand. In appropriate cases, this included peerages and baronetcies.

Bernard Freyberg, although not born in New Zealand and resident outside New Zealand for a considerable portion of his life, had significant connections with New Zealand, and was ennobled while serving as governor-general of New Zealand in 1951. The current bearer of the title, Valerian Freyberg, 3rd Baron Freyberg, is based in the United Kingdom and is one of the 92 hereditary peers elected to sit in the House of Lords.

Arthur Porritt, a New Zealand-born physician, surgeon, statesman and athlete, became a baronet in 1963 and was appointed governor-general of New Zealand in 1967 (the first person born in New Zealand to serve in this post), serving until 1972. He moved to live in England upon the expiry of his term as governor-general, and was later ennobled in 1973. Porritt was resident in England at the time he was made a baronet and at the time he received his peerage. His son, Jonathon Porritt, is a resident of England and is entitled to register his claim to his father's baronetcy (but not to his peerage, since it was a life peerage). He has so far declined to do so.

In 1975, after a review of the system, two uniquely New Zealand honours were integrated into it: the Queen's Service Order, and its affiliated Medal. In 1987, the Order of New Zealand was instituted as the supreme New Zealand honour.

In 1996, Robin Cooke, a New Zealand judge, was awarded a life peerage. Following his ennoblement until his retirement at the age of 75, Cooke sat in the British House of Lords as a law lord, and ex officio also in the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which at that time was the highest authority in the New Zealand judicial system. Cooke is the only Commonwealth judge from outside Britain to have attained this distinction (James Atkin was born in Australia but only spent the first three years of his life there before returning permanently to England and Wales). The discontinuance of appeals to the Privy Council from New Zealand in 2003 (combined with the cessation of the judicial functions of the House of Lords since then) makes it unlikely that a similar honour will be granted in future on the strength of judicial services rendered in New Zealand.

A further review of the New Zealand royal honours system in 1996 and 1997 resulted in the termination of awards of almost all British honours and the creation of a new five-level New Zealand Order of Merit to replace them. [4] In 2000, Prime Minister Helen Clark announced that no further awards of knighthoods and damehoods would be made in the New Zealand honours system. However, in March 2009, Prime Minister John Key announced the restoration of knighthoods and damehoods to the honours system, with past recipients of the two highest grades of the New Zealand Order of Merit to be eligible to receive titles. [5]

Orders and other honours

Complete nameGrade (Letters)InsigniaRibbonEstablishedFounderMottoAwarded to/forAssociated awardsRefs
Most Noble Order of the Garter Knight Companion (KG)
Lady Companion (LG)		 Arms of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.svg Order of the Garter UK ribbon.svg 23 April 1348 Edward III Honi soit qui mal y pense ("shame upon him who thinks evil of it")Relating to England and WalesNone [6] [7]
Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle Knight (KT)
Lady (LT)		 Insignia of Knight of the Thistle.png Order of the Thistle UK ribbon.svg 29 May 1687 James VII and II Nemo me impune lacessit ("No one provokes me with impunity")Relating to ScotlandNone [8]
Royal Victorian Order Knight or Dame Grand Cross (GCVO) Stervan de Koninklijke Orde van Victoria.jpg UK Royal Victorian Order ribbon.svg 21 April 1896 Victoria VictoriaServices to the Crown Royal Victorian Medal, Royal Victorian Chain [9] [10]
Knight Commander (KCVO) Dame Commander (DCVO) SteR KCVO.jpg
Commander (CVO) RVO-Star (CVO-LVO).jpg
Lieutenant (LVO)
Member (MVO) RVO-Star (MVO).jpg
Order of Merit Member (OM) OOM insignia.jpg Order of Merit (Commonwealth realms) ribbon.svg 23 June 1902 Edward VII For meritMilitary, science, art, literature, cultureNone [11]
Order of New Zealand Member (ONZ) ONZ insignia.png Order of New Zealand ribbon.png 6 February 1987 Elizabeth II NoneOutstanding service to the Crown and people of New Zealand in a civil or military capacityNone [12]
New Zealand Order of Merit Knight or Dame Grand Companion (GNZM) GNZM insignia.png New Zealand Order of Merit ribbon.svg 30 May 1996 Elizabeth II For Merit —Tohu HirangaMeritorious service to the Crown and the nation or who have become distinguished by their eminence, talents, contributions, or other meritsNone [4]
Knight Companion (KNZM)
Dame Companion (DNZM)		 KNZM-DNZM insignia.png
Companion (CNZM) CNZM insignia.png
Officer (ONZM) ONZM insignia.png
Member (MNZM) MNZM insignia.png
King's Service Order [lower-alpha 1] Companion (KSO) KSO badge only.png Ribbon bar of the Queen's Service Medal.svg 13 March 1975 [lower-alpha 1] Elizabeth II For service —Mō ngā mahi nuiFor valuable voluntary service to the community or meritorious and faithful services to the Crown or similar services within the public sector, whether in elected or appointed office King's Service Medal [13] [14]
King's Service Medal [lower-alpha 2] (KSM) KSM obverse (crop).png
KSM reverse (crop).png 		Ribbon bar of the Queen's Service Medal.svg 13 March 1975 [lower-alpha 2] Elizabeth II For service —Mō ngā mahi nuiVoluntary service to the community or services to the Crown in the public sector, in elected or appointed office. [13] [14]
New Zealand Antarctic Medal (NZAM) NZAM (obverse).png
NZAM (reverse).png 		Polar Medal (UK) ribbon.png 1 September 2006 Elizabeth II NoneFor outstanding contribution to exploration, scientific research, conservation, environmental protection, or knowledge of the Antarctic region; or in support of New Zealand's objectives or operations, or both, in the Antarctic region.None [15]
New Zealand Distinguished Service Decoration (DSD) DSD insignia.png NZ Distinguished Service Decoration.svg 14 May 2007 Elizabeth II NoneDistinguished military service, by regular, territorial and reserve members of the New Zealand Defence Force None [16]
New Zealand Memorial Cross — NZMC insignia.png Memorial Cross (Ribbon).gif 12 September 1947 George VI NoneNext of kin of New Zealand service personnel who, since September 1939, have been killed on active service or later die of woundsNone [17]

See also

Notes

  1. 1 2 Previously called the Queen's Service Order. Redesignated on 3 May 2024.
  2. 1 2 Previously called the Queen's Service Medal. Redesignated on 3 May 2024.

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References

  1. ↑ "Overview of the New Zealand Royal Honours system". www.dpmc.govt.nz. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  2. 1 2 "History". www.dpmc.govt.nz. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 11 November 2022. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
  3. ↑ "The Honours Unit". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet . Retrieved 3 July 2021.
  4. 1 2 "The New Zealand Order of Merit". www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  5. ↑ "Titles of Dames, Knights to be restored - Key". The New Zealand Herald . 8 March 2009.
  6. ↑ Statutes of the Order of the Garter (1814)
  7. ↑ "Order of the Garter". www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/TheMonarchyToday.aspx. The Royal Household. Archived from the original on 31 May 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  8. ↑ "Order of the Thistle". www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/TheMonarchyToday.aspx. The Royal Household. Archived from the original on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  9. ↑ Galloway, Royal Service (1996)
  10. ↑ "Royal Victorian Order". www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/TheMonarchyToday.aspx. The Royal Household. Archived from the original on 2 April 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  11. ↑ "Order of Merit". www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchUK/TheMonarchyToday.aspx. The Royal Household. Archived from the original on 1 April 2015. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  12. ↑ "The Order of New Zealand". www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  13. 1 2 "The King's Service Order". www.dpmc.govt.nz. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 23 May 2024. Retrieved 28 May 2024.
  14. 1 2 "The King's Service Order". www.legislation.govt.nz. Parliamentary Council Office. 29 April 2024. Retrieved 11 May 2024.
  15. ↑ "The New Zealand Antarctic Medal". www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  16. ↑ "The Distinguished Service Decoration". www.dpmc.govt.nz/honours/. Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  17. ↑ "Other New Zealand Medals and Awards - New Zealand Memorial Cross". NZ Defence Force. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  18. ↑ Press release of 2 May 1996 at the New Zealand Executive Government News Release Archive (govt.nz). Retrieved 28 February 2006.
  19. ↑ Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) 2022.
  20. 1 2 Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC) 2020.
  21. ↑ "Post Nominals & Form of Address". Royal Heraldry Society of Canada. Retrieved 9 November 2010.[ permanent dead link ]
  22. ↑ "About the Order of St John > Glossary". Order of St. John. Archived from the original on 26 August 2010. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  23. ↑ Office of the Governor General of Canada. "It's an Honour > Additional Information". Queen's Printer for Canada. Retrieved 9 November 2010.
  24. ↑ The Australian Army (2001), Army Protocol Manual, Australian Government Publishing Service, p. AL1
  25. ↑ Office of the Governor-General of Australia (25 September 2007), Order of Wearing Australian Honours and Awards (PDF), Australian Government Publishing Service, p. 5, archived from the original (PDF) on 11 February 2014, retrieved 24 March 2011
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